Chester W. St. Clair

Tuesday

Aug 21, 2012 at 3:58 PMAug 21, 2012 at 4:02 PM

1940-2012

1940-2012

Chester W. St. Clair passed away on Aug. 15, 2012 at Loma Linda. He was 72.He was born on May 26, 1940, in San Ardo to William R. St. Clair and Gladys Chloe St. Clair.Chester moved to Arkansas in 1951 after the death of his father and lived with his grandparents.His grandfather farmed with a mule team. There he learned to harness and drive horses and mules, which ever was available.In high school, Chester was involved with wrestling, boxing and FFA.He joined the Navy in 1957 and was stationed in San Diego, before transferring to the USS Gen. J.C. Breakinridge, a military transport ship, making 33 trips across the Pacific.In 1958, he met Pat Hildreth in San Diego and married her in Nov. 1959 while living in Oakland, where they stayed until he was discharged in 1961.He went to work at Owens Illinois Glass in Oakland. The couple settled in Pleasanton where their son Raymond was born in 1962.After numerous calls from his father-in-law Bob Hildreth to take over the business in Ridgecrest, Chester and his family finally moved in 1963. He operated a two truck and wrecking yard during the day and then went to work as a car salesman in the evening.After Bob was killed in an auto accident in 1964, Chester took on the responsibility to operate Hildreth Motors, a Dodge Dealership and AAA Towing company with 24 employees.In 1966, the couple had their daughter Theresa and their second son Thomas in 1969. In 1988, Thomas was killed in an auto accident.In 1985, the dealership was sold and they changed the name to St. Clair Automotive, remaining a towing, used car lot and auto body shop.After a trip in 1990, Chester started a tradition to go to Death Valley in a wagon driven by mules, beginning in 1991.They didn’t miss a trip until 2011.He was the wagon master for nine years.Chester was involved with the California Sesquicentennial in 1999 where he joined fellow wagon masters and had a 100-mile drive into Stockton with all original wagons.In Ridgecrest, he hauled the fair directors and Santa in the “old wagon” in the parade the last few years.He loved seeing the kids react to Santa.First and foremost, he loved driving a one-ton truck and the business he had for 64 years with the Automobile Association Club of Southern California.He is preceded in death by his parents William St. Clair and Gladys Chloe St. Clair and son Thomas St. Clair.He is survived by his wife if 52 years Pat of Ridgecrest, son Raymond of Ridgecrest, daughter Theresa Knight of Ridgecrest, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.Services will be held on Aug. 23 at 9:30 a.m. at Calvary Chapel and will be officiated by Terry Morrison.He will be laid to rest at Desert Memorial Park. A visitation will be held at Holland and Lyons from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday.Flowers are accepted, but contributions may be made to the charity of your choice.